The instant invention relates to electronic toys for infants and more particularly to an electronic activity center comprising a spring biased kick bar at ground level, and an overhead cross bar having a plurality of hanging toys suspended above the infant. An electronic unit mounted inside the activity center controls output of music and sounds responsive to movement of the kick bar and/or the hanging toys. The electronic unit also controls motion of a rotating bar on the cross bar responsive to movements of the kick bar and hanging toys. Activation of the music, sounds and rotating bar responsive to movement of the kick bar and/or hanging toys are believed to encourage kicking of the infant's feet and swinging of the infant's arms and to thus aid in the development of motor skills.
At just a few months of age, infants begin actively kicking their feet and swinging their arms as a means of showing excitement and emotion, and also as a means of exploring their immediate surroundings. In this regard, a variety of different types of toys have been developed to encourage infants to use these natural kicking and swinging movements. Prior art toys of this type include play gyms having overhead suspended toys and further include spring mounted kick plates. For example, the Thomson et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,253, Bro U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,520 and Block U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,588 each discloses a baby gym having toys suspended from an overhead bar. An infant positioned on its back beneath the bar is able to both kick and swing at the suspended toys thereby aiding in the development of manual dexterity and hand eye coordination.
The Ferrari U.S. Pat. No. 2,461,682 discloses a crib exercise device comprising a flat board which is mounted to the legs of a crib by elastic members. The board is suspended in a vertical orientation in the crib by the elastic members and is presented for kicking by an infant in the crib. When the infant kicks or hits the board, the board springs up and down and back and forth in an amusing manner.
An electronic piano device is also known in the prior art. The device can be mounted in a vertical orientation and used as a kick board for infants. When the infants feet engage buttons on the piano, sounds or tones associated with the respective buttons are output.
The Davison U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,286 discloses another type of crib toy which includes noise devices that can be kicked or hit by an infant in the crib. The noise devices include a rattle, a bell, and a squeaker. When these devices are hit or kicked by the infant's hands or feet, they make an audible noise which in turn activates a sound responsive musical circuit. The musical control circuit also activates a motor which spins and moves cartoon figures mounted in the housing.
The Au U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,268 discloses an electronic activity gym having a frame, an overhead cross bar, and a plurality of hang toys suspended from the cross bar. The hanging toys are suspended from the cross bar by a pivot assembly mounted within the cross bar. When an infant positioned below the cross bar hits, kicks or otherwise touches the hanging toys, the pivot assembly pivots and closed a switch that activates an electronic music and sound system.
The instant invention provides an improved electronic activity center for an infant comprising a frame, a spring biased kick bar pivotably mounted to the frame, a cross bar supported above the infant, a plurality of hanging toys suspended from the cross bar, and a rotating "motion" bar with rotating flippers and disks mounted on the cross bar. The kick bar and the hanging toys are connected to an electronic control unit mounted inside the frame of the activity center. The electronic control unit controls output of music and sounds responsive to movement of the kick bar and/or hanging toy. The electronic unit also controls motion the rotating bar responsive to movements of the kick bar and hanging toys. Activation of the music, sounds and rotating bar responsive to movement of the kick bar and/or hanging toys are believed to encourage kicking of the infant's feet and swinging of the infant's arms and thus aid in the development of motor skills.
More specifically, the activity center comprises a cross bar, and a frame having a base portion and spaced upright support members extending upwardly from the base portion. The cross bar is mounted between the spaced upright support members for supporting the cross bar above a supporting surface. A plurality of toy articles are suspended from the cross bar so as to be generally positioned above an infant lying on its back between the upright support members. The hanging toy articles are pivotably movable from an a normal rest position to an active position responsive to engagement by an operator, i.e. swinging of the infants arms or kicking of the infants feet. A first switch is mounted in operable association with the hanging toy articles wherein the first switch is actuable responsive to pivoting movement of the toy articles. The switch is generally movable between a first position corresponding to the at rest position of the toy article and a second position corresponding to the active position of the toy articles.
The electronic activity center further comprises a spring biased kick bar pivotably mounted to the base portion of the frame between the spaced upright support members. The kick bar is pivotably movable between an at rest position and an active position responsive to engagement of the user, i.e. kicking of the infant feet. A second switch is mounted in operable association with the kick bar wherein the second switch is actuable responsive to pivoting movement of the kick bar between a first position corresponding to the at rest position of the kick bar and a second position corresponding to the active position of the kick bar.
The electronic activity center still further comprises a rotating "motion" bar rotatably mounted within the cross bar. The motion bar includes a plurality of disks, flippers etc which rotate with the bar during operation. The rotating bar is driven by a motor and a transmission assembly coupled between the bar and the motor for translating rotation of the motor into a corresponding rotation of the bar.
Finally, the activity center includes a processor device including a sound generating device connected to the first and second switches. In use, the sound generating device initiates output of a sound, such as music, or other sounds, responsive to a respective movement of the hanging toy elements or the kick bar, i.e. closure of the switches associated therewith. The motor is also controlled by the processor wherein the motor is selectively energized responsive to movements of the hanging toy elements and the kick bar. The processor is operative in several different modes which allow the processor to output sounds and music, or sounds and music and movement of the motion bar.
Accordingly, among the objects of the instant invention are: the provision of an electronic activity center for an infant which encourages natural kicking and arm swinging movement; the provision of an electronic activity center for an infant including a sound generation device which outputs sounds and music responsive to kicking of a spring biased kick bar; the provision of an electronic activity center for an infant including a sound generation device which outputs sounds and/or music responsive to hitting of hanging toys suspended from an overhead cross bar; and the provision of such an activity center further including a movable element which moves responsive to kicking of the kick bar and/or hitting of the hanging toys.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.